U.S. extreme temp: Hottest spot not far from coldest spot on same date— how can that be?

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U.S. extreme temp: Hottest spot not far from coldest spot on same date— how can that be?

Dear Tom,On July 28 you indicated the coldest spot in the country was Bodie State Historical Park in California and the hottest spot was Death Valley National Park, also in California. They are not far from each other. How can that be?—Maxwell Segal
Dear Maxwell,
On Friday, July 28, 2017, Death Valley registered a high temperature of 120 degrees; at Bodie State Historical Park, 163 miles to the northwest, the low temperature was 34 degrees on the same date. Those readings were, respectively, the highest and lowest temperatures recorded in the nation that day. That huge temperature spread over a relatively short distance, 86 degrees, is attributed primarily to elevation. Bodie sits at 8,375 feet above and Death Valley at 282 feet below sea level, a difference of 8,657 feet. Secondarily, mountains immediately surrounding Death Valley prevent much daytime heat from leaving the valley.
On July 28, Death Valley hit a high temperature of 120 degrees; at Bodie State Historical Park, 163 miles to the northwest, the low was 34 degrees on the same date.